Today, in this world, a 14-year-old girl is celebrating her first wedding anniversary … by giving birth.

Achan didn't choose to marry while still a child, or give birth while her young body was still growing. But as a girl growing up in an impoverished family, she simply had no choice. While still a child, she married an older man. At 17, she is already nursing her third child.

10 million girls under age 18 will marry this year. That’s nearly 28,000 child marriages every day.

This isn’t fair. This isn’t right.

Girls who marry early are more likely to suffer violence, abuse, HIV infection, illiteracy and higher rates of suicide.

How you can help end early marriage

At Plan’s highly successful training program in South Sudan, girls are learning catering, electronic repair, sales and many other professions. The program has been so successful that we're working to expand it throughout rural South Sudan.

But we need your help.

By making a donation, you'll help us reach girls before they end up as child brides and mothers. You’ll help them learn skills, acquire self-confidence and take control of their lives.

Around the world, a girl is married every 3 seconds. The sooner we expand our program, the more girls we can help.